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BAAF welcomes child abuse experts review
Issued: 17 June 04
This press release applies to the whole of the UK
Leading adoption and fostering charity the British Association for Adoption & Fostering (BAAF) has welcomed the announcement of a high level review on the way expert witnesses are used in child abuses cases in family courts.
Children's Minister Margaret Hodge today said Chief Medical Officer Sir Liam Donaldson would carry out the inquiry. It follows the case of Angela Cannings, cleared of killing two children when expert evidence was ruled unsound.
Margaret Hodge also released the results of a first review into disputed cases of children being in care, which has questioned 47 out of 5,175 cases.
Welcoming the review, BAAF chief executive Felicity Collier said:
“This review will help to restore confidence in the child protection system. The decision to remove a child from their family is not one that social workers take lightly, but they are often criticised for getting the balance wrong on either side. This has resulted in low morale and acute anxiety about getting it wrong, which risks paralysing the child protection system. Government must address this issue before it impacts negatively on children's lives
“The huge criticism of medical experts which has been played out in the media, and the number of complaints made against them, has unsurprisingly led to a shortage of paediatricians willing to enter child protection work. We need to ensure that we find enough child abuse experts of sufficient standing to give evidence in suspected abuse cases.”
Sir Liam will concentrate on the role of experts in family courts, where judges decide whether a child should be taken into care on the grounds of suspected abuse. His report to ministers is expected early next year.
Ends
Contact:
Lucy Handford, Media Assistant, 020 7593 2054
Note
1. The British Association for Adoption & Fostering (BAAF) is the UK's leading adoption and fostering charity.
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